Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) have been used widely to activate cellular signalling and have been implicated in a number of disease treatments including, delayed non-heating fractures, pseudoarthrosis, osteoarthritis, bone fractures and related problems and have also been suggested for the treatment of nerve growth and wound healing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,968 describes a method and apparatus that utilises the electromotoric force imposed on tissue by a unique combination of coils arrangements.
The application US 2003/50527 describes devices and methods for transcranial magnetic stimulation, “TMS”. TMS is described as a means for repetitively stimulating the human brain through an intact scalp and skull, i.e. non-invasively. TMS is delivered by passing a brief (200 microsecond), strong (10 kV, 6000 A) electrical current through a coil of wire (a TMS stimulator) placed adjacent to the head. The passage of electrical current induces a strong (2 Tesla) magnetic field which induces electrical currents in nearby tissues. In particular, this application concerns rapid rate transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) using a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The stimulator output is set to 110% of relaxed motor threshold. Stimulation is delivered in ten trains of 5 seconds each, with trains beginning 30 seconds apart. Treatment is administered once daily for five consecutive weekdays.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,425,852 describes use of rapid rate transcranial magnetic stimulation with a frequency of 1 Hz or 5 Hz for the treatment of depression, apparently suggesting the use of strong magnetic fields in the Tesla range.